[DVD Wild]
Cheryl Strayed’s blistering autobiography Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail was one of my absolute favorite reads three years ago, and when I heard that it was being turned into a biographical film to star Reese Witherspoon as Strayed, I was filled with both hope and trepidation. The book was such a personal story, and opened up so much of Strayed’s troubled life, in its exploration of how a 1000+ mile hike on the Pacific Crest Trail allowed her to purge some demons and come to terms with loss, that I wasn’t sure a film would be able to honestly capture that emotion.
Admittedly, I am a fan of Reese Witherspoon, and she does turn in a marvelous, nuanced performance in Wild. However, the book is far more powerful, in part because the filmmakers had to telescope the book’s events and cut out several key moments from Strayed’s experiences. The cinematography is terrific, the supporting cast was fine. And the storytelling gimmick of jumping backwards and forwards in time is (for the most part) effective. However, the film just felt somehow…disconnected…from the emotional events that seemed so powerful in the book. If you haven’t read the book, I do recommend this film. However, I recommend reading the book (or listening to the audiobook, as I did) even more!
[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Wild web site ]
Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library
Bennett Martin Public Library
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